The Steeple Times

Tag: social

  • Blind dining

    Blind dining

    Christian Huhnt takes his first foray into the world of supper clubs

     

    I don’t usually find myself in the east of London. It’s not because I don’t like it but simply because it’s just an awful journey to get there from where I live. Eventually, though, a “secret” was able to convince me to make this long journey. This “secret,” I was told, could only be revealed to me if I “attended” it. Of what, you may ask, am I am rambling on about? I am talking of something called: “The Secret Supper Club.”

     

    Next, you’ll be asking: “What the heck is a ‘supper club’?” Well, in essence, a “supper club” is essentially a dinner in the company of a bunch of total randoms. It is a bit like blind dating, although you get to speak to many more people than just the one opposite you. As I had heard and read so much about supper clubs, I became very curious about attending one. Normally these gatherings happen in someone’s own home without any professional help, but the one to which I was invited was quite something else.

     

    Lime&Tonic’s Secret Supper Club

    This particular supper club is on another level. It is run by Lime&Tonic, an international firm of event planners and costs just £35 per head. Lime&Tonic made their philosophy to: “Save the world from boredom” according to its co-founder Stefan Cordiner and in the London supper club they operate I certainly found plenty that fascinated.

     

    The major idea of Lime&Tonic’s take on the supper club is to make new contacts. In this case it was as far reaching as it could get. We were 14 in total. None of us knew each other beforehand, but almost everyone came as a couple or with a friend. What, I realised, made it particularly special was how wide an array of people came: Where else would a pharmaceutical product developer from Birmingham have dinner with an F-15 pilot from the US?

     

    The “un-restaurant,” as it is also referred to by Lime&Tonic, happens every month at a “secret venue,” but never a private residence. The location is revealed to the attendees one day before the event. It’s usually held in a venue with a “unique feel” but wherever it may be, the focus is on somewhere with “authentic charm.”

     

    Suspense and surprise is the order of the day here as the “secret menu” is not revealed until guests sit down at the table either. On arrival we were told that our chef for the night was Paul Hannagen, a good-humoured young Irish professional who established his own catering operation, Cuisson, in August 2011. His passion for his craft was infectious.

     

    The one element of “surprise” that I found hard to deal with was the “bring your own” wine policy. Without knowing what would be served, how could I know what alcohol my wine buff companion ought to choose?

     

    The food itself, though, was delightful. We started with some small ‘lollipops’ stuffed with chicken liver and chunks of apple as an amuse-bouche. This was followed by a ham that had been cooked for 36 hours and served in a “British farmer’s style” with mini-cauliflower, sliced carrots, a rocket salad and a truly wonderful chutney. For a main we were served salmon, cooked  “hot and cold” on one side only at 44.5°C in basil oil served with marinated prawns, mashed potatoes and broccoli. It was a great dish but perhaps a little more salt could have made it perfect. The final course, equally, was a delight: chocolate fudge with Baileys ice cream and salted caramel. I was in heaven.

     

    In general, Hannagen’s approach to slow cooking and his use of local produce reminded me very much of that of Jason Atherton at Pollen Street Social. I was therefore not surprised when he later told me that Atherton was his mentor. He did a great job and my companion and I agreed that he deserves huge success.

     

    The meal over, we ended up downing Patrón XO Cafe shots together while happily exchanging numbers. Though I may have been sceptical in the beginning, this concept is brilliant. I am very much looking forward to attend the next Secret Supper Club soon.

     

    For more details about Lime&Tonic and their supper clubs, go to: http://www.limeandtonic.com/london/en/

     

    For more details about Paul Cuisson, go to: http://www.cuisson.co.uk

  • The “i” wise monkeys

    The “i” wise monkeys

    Gina Miller asks if today’s “i” generation can still embody the proverbial maxim “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil”

     

    The hysteria and media attention around the iPhone 5 and the iPad mini has made me take note and observe “i” gadget usage over the last few weeks. The idea of people queuing outside Apple stores in these times of austerity when so many are struggling seems totally absurd to me. Even more absurd is that these individuals behave like addicts and do not question what mobile phones are doing to their lives.  They just can’t wait for the next high.

     

    Do the “i” generation truly understand this principle?

     

    My observations of “mobile junkies” started on the 21st September. During the day there was media coverage of the launch of the iPhone 5 and interviews with joyous consumers as they got their hands on these new toys. In the evening, I attended a truly inspiring concert to celebrate and publicise Peace for One Day. The concert marked the United Nations’ World Peace Day, which calls for a day of global ceasefire and non-violence. Prior to the music there were links from leaders around the world in support of the day including a speech about global action against domestic violence, an Afghan Leader in support of the day and the extraordinary director of Interpeace, Scott Webber. And what were the people at either side of me, above me, in front and behind me doing? They were texting, emailing, playing games and obsessively tinkering with their mobiles.

     

    From the woman talking on her mobile as she steps into the road to cross without ever looking up, to the parents waiting in the playground for their children texting and emailing, the mobile has taken precedence over what we should really be paying attention to. In restaurants, couples and families do not talk to each other but instead have their mobiles in their hands as they eat and prop up mobiles or iPads playing cartoons for the children instead of talking to them. Have we lost all sense of propriety? When do we talk to each other? When do we get to know our children?

     

    People text to ask someone out, they text to break up and they text to ask what is for supper. Trust in relationships is tested as women track their husband’s iPhones and if a partner doesn’t call or text at least five times a day then the other questions the depth of commitment or love. Children as young as seven demand iPads or mobiles from doting parents who don’t know how to say ‘no’ or instil the idea that you strive to attain the rewards of hard work. There are even reported increases in teenagers and a young adult complaining of aches and pains in their thumbs due to over-texting. 24/7 email access engenders expectations and stress that means people are never really shutting down from work mode. People on trains incessantly chatter and children get brutally attacked on their way home from school for their mobiles. All sense of privacy has been eroded as any celebrity or person in the public eye can be spied upon now that mobiles have cameras. All these negative trends are due to these gadgets but sales keep rocketing most especially amongst those who can least afford them.

     

    I read with interest an account from a guide at the Sistine Chapel who said visitors come in, take photos on their phones and iPads and then move to the next room.  No one, the guide suggested, really looks with their eyes, wonders or lingers at the beauty before, around and above them anymore. For these visitors, instead, it is all about taking the picture and instant gratification.

     

    Whilst mobile phones keep us in touch and mean we can assure our loved ones we are safe, running late, find out about the children or ask whether grandmother is warm; this convenience appears to come at a very high price. Apple recently sold its 100 millionth iPad and reported profits of £5.08 billion in the three months to 29 September 2012. Apparently there were 2 million iPhone 5s ordered in the first 24 hours and similar figures are expected for the aggressively priced iPad mini. If you the average spend one of these new gadgets were to be conservatively calculated at £200, that gives a total spend of £400 million. Just think what a difference that amount of money would make if each person gave it instead to the extraordinary small community charities who battle at the coalface of the negative trends in our society?

     

    The ancient three monkeys proverb associated with being of good mind, speech and action has been corrupted by gadgets and now in the modern world we turn a blind eye. We have grown an extra appendage that we appear unable to live without.

     

    What if we all engaged in a national day of no phones or portable tablet? What if, as a social experiment, all networks were also to shut down for one day? Would we not have a different sort of ‘peace day’ that would start to rebuild our interaction, families, relationships and empathy? We would have to look into each other’s faces when we spoke and we might remember when we laughed more, talked more and maybe even tolerated more. If we took up this challenge, perhaps we might even rediscover some of our lost humanity and ‘we’ culture rather than the egotistical ‘i’ culture that sadly dominates society today.

     

    Gina Miller, founder of Miller Philanthropy, is the host of Champions in the Community at The Hurlingham Club on 8th November 2012. For more information and to donate, go to: https://mydonate.bt.com/events/championsdinner

  • Oliver Estreich: “What’s on your mantelpiece?”

    Oliver Estreich: “What’s on your mantelpiece?”

    The Steeple Times asks contemporary artist and founder of theNativeSociety Oliver Estreich: “What’s on your mantelpiece?”

    The Steeple Times shares “wit and wisdom.” Oliver Estreich, what’s your guiding force?

    Creativity and sex.

     

     “Don’t get even, get medieval” is, in our humble opinion, a great motto. What’s yours?

    “Think rich, look poor” and “Nothing exceeds like excess.”

     

    Kerry Katona was considered unacceptable in 2007. Who or what is unacceptable in 2012?

    Who is Kerry Katona? … For me, it has to be the amount of hype over Facebook and other social media ventures.

     

    Tony Blair misses being Prime Minister. What do you miss most in your life?

    I live in the moment so I have no regrets but I think about my Snoopy stuffed animal I had when I was a kid… He spurred my imagination.

     

    What might you swap all your wealth for?

    One night in Bangkok… Wait, I’ve already done that. My definition of “wealth” is: “One who is rich in friends, family and passion. “

     

    Donald Trump was once a case of: “If you owe the bank a thousand, they close you down; but if you owe the bank a billion, you own the bank.” What’s your view on the banking crisis?

    Trump caused it.

     

    What phrase or word do you most loathe?

    “Same shit, different day.” You might as well be a zombie or in a grave if you say or believe that.

     

    In the UK, some people consider charity to “begin at home.” What’s your view and what causes do you personally support?

    Charity is vital to society – if you actually get your hands dirty. Simply donating to a cause to look like a “charitable” person is hogwash.  I am a huge advocate of Humane Society and Special Olympics.

     

    The judge in “Law Abiding Citizen” states: “I can pretty do whatever I want” before being blown up whilst answering her mobile phone. What’s your view on the appropriate use of such devices?

    Can’t live with it, can’t live without it.

     

    If you could fill a carriage on The Orient Express, who would be your fellow passengers?

    Ernest Hemingway, Sir Richard Branson, Hugh Hefner and Andy Warhol.

     

    Oliver Estreich

     

    If you were unfortunate enough to end up on death row, what would be your last meal and where would you eat it?

    Hudut caught with friends and cooked off the coast of Caye Caulker, Belize. It would be served with Marie Sharp’s Hot Sauce and a refreshing Belikin beer.

     

    What time is it acceptable to consume the first drink of the day?

    It’s always 12 pm somewhere in the world.

     

    A Negroni, a martini or a cup of tea?

    A martini straight up with two blue cheese olives and a French blond model on the side.

     

    Whose parties do you enjoy the most and why?

    Saturday parties at Le Bilboquet in New York’s Upper East Side. It has a great atmosphere and great staff. It’s like home.

     

    Who is the most positive person you know?

    Everyone I surround myself with is positive. Attitude is contagious.

     

    What’s your most guilty pleasure?

    Too many to count.

     

    If a tattoo were to sum you up, what would it be of?

    I have one – Asian symbol for love and pleasure.

     

    If you were a car, what marque would you be?

    A Ferrari Testarossa.

     

    Cilla Black presented “Surprise, Surprise.” Tell us the most surprising thing about you.

    I sleep naked.

     

    Finally, Oliver Estreich: What’s currently sitting on your mantelpiece?

    A picture of my family next to a hundred other random items that serve some purpose.

     

    Oliver Estreich is the founder of theNativeSociety and a contemporary artist specialising in pop art.  Follow Oliver Estreich on Twitter at @OliverEstreich.

  • Phoebe Lapine: “What’s on your mantelpiece?”

    Phoebe Lapine: “What’s on your mantelpiece?”

    The Steeple Times asks the chef, author and BBC America “Chef Race: U.K. vs. U.S.” contestant Phoebe Lapine: “What’s on your mantelpiece?”

     

    The Steeple Times shares “wit and wisdom.” What’s your guiding force?

    Food. Friends. Fun.

     

    “Don’t get even, get medieval” is, in our humble opinion, a great motto. What’s yours?

    “Be the heroine of your own life, not the victim.” The quote is courtesy of the late but brilliant Nora Ephron.

     

    Kerry Katona was considered unacceptable in 2007. Who or what is unacceptable in 2012?

    Had to Google that one. Um, onesies (or as we call them in America, “footie pajamas”)… Just kidding, those are timeless.

     

    Tony Blair misses being Prime Minister. What do you miss most in your life?

    Horses: I can’t seem to find space for one in my New York City apartment.

     

    What might you swap all your wealth for?

    An iron and a bottomless stomach. Or an invisibility cloak.

     

    Donald Trump was once a case of: “If you owe the bank a thousand, they close you down; but if you owe the bank a billion, you own the bank.” What’s your view on the banking crisis?

    Greed is not good. Sorry, Gordo.

     

    What phrase or word do you most loathe?

    “No.”

     

    In the UK, some people consider charity to “begin at home.” What’s your view and what causes do you personally support?

    I feed a revolving door of twenty-something’s who don’t think they’re capable of roasting a chicken. If only someone had taught them what it takes to prepare real food when they were young. My causes include culinary education for kids and also pediatric cancer research via The Valerie Fund.

     

    The judge in “Law Abiding Citizen” states: “I can pretty do whatever I want” before being blown up whilst answering her mobile phone. What’s your view on the appropriate use of such devices?

    You don’t need to shout for the person on the other end to hear you. It’s an iPhone, not a tin can on a string.

     

    If you could fill a carriage on The Orient Express, who would be your fellow passengers?

    Julia Child, Jamie Oliver, Ruth Reichl and Nora Ephron for the first half. Just me and ten clones of Ryan Gosling for the second.

     

    Chef and author Phoebe Lapine

    If you were unfortunate enough to end up on death row, what would be your last meal and where would you eat it?

    Sole meunière, frites, haricots vert, strong strong strong French mustard and a vat of mayonnaise. Warm chocolate chip cookies for dessert. I’d eat it on a hillside in Provence surrounded by horses. So, I guess, there should be a bucket of apples too.

     

    What time is it acceptable to consume the first drink of the day?

    It’s always 5 o’clock somewhere, right?

     

    A Negroni, a martini or a cup of tea?

    Campari soda.

     

    Whose parties do you enjoy the most and why?

    My own. I love feeding my friends and having a ball and going to bed with dirty dishes in the sink. Plus, I never have to put on shoes.

     

    Who is the most positive person you know?

    Debbie Phillips: Every woman’s spiritual mother.

     

    What’s your most guilty pleasure?

    Trashy magazines.

     

    If a tattoo were to sum you up, what would it be of?

    A heart shaped spoon.

     

    If you were a car, what marque would you be?

    I can’t think of an answer that’s not vaguely sexual.

     

    Cilla Black presented “Surprise, Surprise.” Tell us the most surprising thing about you.

    I’m very social, but also I’m a closet introvert. I need a lot of “me” time to recharge.

     

    What’s currently sitting on your mantelpiece?

    I wish I had one. On the ledge of my sleeping loft I have a candle, an empty water glass and a novel.

     

     

    Phoebe Lapine is a chef, author and food personality. The daughter of Tony Award winning American stage director and librettist James Lapine, she is a co-founder of the blog Big Girls Small Kitchen and co-author of the cookbook In the Small Kitchen: 100 Recipes From Our Year of Cooking in the Real World.

     

    Phoebe Lapine’s website can be viewed at: http://phoebelapine.com and she shares her recipes at: http://feedmephoebe.com

     

    Follow Phoebe Lapine on Twitter at: http://www.twitter.com/PhoebeLapine

  • Sir Benjamin Slade Bt.: “What’s on your mantelpiece?”

    Sir Benjamin Slade Bt.: “What’s on your mantelpiece?”

    The Steeple Times asks the right-wing businessman and owner of Maunsel House and Woodlands Castle, Sir Benjamin Slade: “What’s on your mantelpiece?”

     

    The Steeple Times shares “wit and wisdom.” What’s your guiding force?

    Money, power, sex, success, land, trees, books and fine wine.

     

    “Don’t get even, get medieval” is, in our humble opinion, a great motto. What’s yours?

    “If it f**ks, floats or flies: Rent it, don’t buy it and don’t marry it!”

     

    Kerry Katona was considered unacceptable in 2007. Who or what is unacceptable in 2012?

    David Cameron and Sir Mervyn King.

     

    Tony Blair misses being Prime Minister. What do you miss most in your life?

    Being in London full-time.

     

    What might you swap all your wealth for?

    Good health and two healthy sons.

     

    Donald Trump was once a case of: “If you owe the bank a thousand, they close you down; but if you owe the bank a billion, you own the bank.” What’s your view on the banking crisis?

    It’s like putting bartenders on commission and allowing them to give credit to alcoholics who die and go bankrupt.

     

    What phrase or word do you most loathe?

    I’ve got three: 1. “Sustainability.” 2. “Stakeholder.” 3. “Human rights.”

     

    In the UK, some people consider charity to “begin at home.” What’s your view and what causes do you personally support?

    UKIP and Help for Heroes.

     

    The judge in “Law Abiding Citizen” states: “I can pretty do whatever I want” before being blown up whilst answering her mobile phone. What’s your view on the appropriate use of such devices?

    They are useful for ringing up if late, doing deals and arranging dinners with girls.

     

    If you could fill a carriage on The Orient Express, who would be your fellow passengers?

    Warren Buffett, Bobby Faber, Philip Gibbs, Bettany Hughes, Brian Kingham, Lady Kitchener-Fellowes, Francis Fulford, Robert Lyle, Sir John Madejski, David Ord, General Sir Michael Rose, Roger Seelig, Alexander Stockton, Jonathan Sumption PC, Norman Tebbit, Lord Westbury, the Duke of Westminster and Mrs William Worsley.  Adrian de Ferranti can sit in the luggage car and serve wine.

     

    Sir Benjamin Slade Bt.

    If you were unfortunate enough to end up on death row, what would be your last meal and where would you eat it?

    It’d have to be at La Tour d’Argent in Paris.

     

    What time is it acceptable to consume the first drink of the day?

    1pm and 6pm.

     

    A Negroni, a martini or a cup of tea?

    Green tea.

     

    Whose parties do you enjoy the most and why?

    Sotheby’s and Christie’s and those hosted by Liz Floyd and Philip Gibbs.

     

    Who is the most positive person you know?

    My friend Bobby Faber.

     

    What’s your most guilty pleasure?

    Drinking claret at £100 per bottle.

     

    If a tattoo were to sum you up, what would it be of?

    A big castle with lots of walnut trees, good books and bottles of wine. And girls’ hips.

     

    If you were a car, what marque would you be?

    A Ford Fiesta.

     

    Cilla Black presented “Surprise, Surprise.” Tell us the most surprising thing about you.

    I’m self-made, have a great knowledge of history and am a seriously good doctor with over 120 patients. And, you’ll be surprised to learn that I was a spy in the Middle East for Britain.

     

    What’s currently sitting on your mantelpiece?

    Tankards, invites, various Mouser and Walther pistols, cows horns, Roman artifacts, decanters, pewter cups, silver, an 18th century bottle of port and a Russian machine gun.

     

    Maunsel House, North Newton, Near Taunton, Somerset, TA7 0BU. Telephone: +44 (0) 1278 661076. Website: http://www.maunselhouse.co.uk

     

    Woodlands Castle, Ruishton, Taunton, Somerset, TA3 5LU. Telephone: +44 (0) 1823 444955. Website: http://www.woodlandscastle.co.uk

     

    Read Sir Benjamin Slade’s blog at: http://sirbenslade.blogspot.co.uk/ and follow him on Twitter at: http://www.twitter.com/sirbenslade

  • Tarred by Paparazzi

    Tarred by Paparazzi

    The bonfire sale of a monster of a mansion that has had a $15 million price reduction

     

    A property was first built at 10425 West Sunset Boulevard in Lower Bel Air, Los Angeles in 1936. Here, in this most exclusive of districts, the homes of the prosperous residents are hidden from view and this address, this day, is no exception.

     

    One of the original owners of a house on this site, which has a main access from the cul-de-sac Revuelta Way, was William R. Wilkerson (1890 – 1962), a nightclub owner and founder of The Hollywood Reporter. A compulsive gambler, he is also credited with contributing to Hollywood’s “Golden Era” through the venues he opened. These included Vendome, Café Tocadero, Sunset House, Ciro’s, LaRue, L’Aiglon and most famously The Flamingo Hotel. An involvement here with the ruthless gangster Ben “Bugsy” Siegel (1906 – 1947) turned sour in 1946 and resulted in him having to flee to Paris in fear of his life. Siegel’s death allowed him to return to Los Angeles in 1947 and having “quit gambling cold turkey” following the birth of a son in 1951, he led a much quieter life. He is remembered as being a man who preferred his “beloved French poodles to any wife or friend.”

     

    Media mogul William R. Wilkerson (1890 – 1962) pictured with Marilyn Monroe (1926 – 1962)

    American film personality and the publisher of “The Hollywood Reporter” Beatrice “Tichi” Wilkerson Kassel (1926 – 2004)

    Wilkerson is first recorded as living at 10425 West Sunset Boulevard in the 1940 California Census with his fourth wife, Estelle Jackson Brown. He subsequently remained there with his fifth wife, Vivian DuBois, and sixth wife Beatrice “Tichi” Noble. After his death, Tichi Wilkerson (1926 – 2004) sold first 10425 West Sunset Boulevard and then, in 1988, The Hollywood Reporter for $26,700,000.

     

    Greg Bautzer (1911 – 1987) with Ginger Rogers (1911 – 1995)

    Another famous owner of 10425 West Sunset Boulevard was a “celebrity attorney” named Greg Bautzer (1911 – 1987). Bautzer is best known for having represented not only William R. Wilkerson but also Ginger Rogers, Ingrid Bergman, Joan Crawford, Kirk Kerkorian and Howard Hughes. He is described as having been “as dashing and popular as any successful Hollywood movie star” and was engaged to but did not marry the actresses Barbara Payton, Lana Turner and Dorothy Lamour. He did, however, make the actress Dana Wynter his second wife in 1956, then Buffy Cobb Chapman and finally Nicola Dantine. This “man-about-Beverly Hills,” it seems, was indeed plainly a magnet for anything dramatic.

     

    Philanthropist and Bernini owner Yousuf Tar

    The current owner of the house, which is now somewhat ludicrously named Chateau d’Or or The House of Gold, is a man named Yousuf Tar. The president of the “faux-Italian mall fixture Bernini men’s clothing [company],” bought 10425 West Sunset Boulevard in 1992 for $6,000,000 and set about creating what his realtor, Sally Forster Jones, calls a “cross between The White House and Versailles.” The resulting remodeled residence isn’t quite either but frankly combines a mixture of one of the palaces of the deceased tyrant Colonel Gadaffi and the set of Dynasty.

     

    The gaudy gates to Chateau d’Or, 10425 West Sunset Boulevard, Bel Air, Los Angeles, California, CA 90077, USA are an indication of the “tackiness” that lies behind

    A 600ft main driveway leads to the front of the house from Revuelta Way. Secondary access comes from West Sunset Boulevard.

    The garden elevation of the Chateau d’Or

    The exterior of Chateau d’Or is anything but understated

    Decorated throughout in a white and gold, the aim of the redesign was to create the look of an 18th century palace complete with acres of marble, columns, cupolas, gold leaft and mouldings. Instead, the interpretation looks more Chigwell-esque than Parisian and has simply attracted criticism and mockery. An example, such as this from Curbed.com, gives a guide to the opinion of the majority about this ugly monstrosity:

     

    “[The mansion] houses some of the cheapest-looking French-inspired interiors ever made, highlighted (or, rather, lowlighted) by a towering, clunky fireplace and a cartoon-worthy master suite, with gilded everything. Even San Simeon’s William Randolph Hearst would object to this level of pointless expenditure.”

     

    The dining hall is currently furnished with a $300,000 table capable of seating upto eighty for a formal dinner. With an entirely gold dinner service, realtor Sally Forster Jones comments: “Food tastes so much better off gold.”

    The opulent meets gaudy theme continues with a marble hallway and staircase

    A sitting room fit for Saddam Hussein

    Chateau d’Or’s double height media room is supposedly “styled like an opera house”

    The master bedroom suite is as nearly as large as most homes and is some 5,000 square foot in size

    No restraint is shown in the choice of bathroom fittings either

    Chateau d’Or, according to the listing on Forster Jones’s website, features 25,953 square foot of living space with 15 bedrooms and 16.5 bathrooms. There is a vast dining hall capable of seating upto 80 for a formal dinner which currently features a $300,000 dining table and a 1,600 square foot “oversized gourmet kitchen” complete with 800 square foot of cupboards, an “indoor sunlit gazebo” and a double Viking oven. A double height media room styled as an opera house has also been created and there’s also a cigar and wine tasting room. The Chateau d’Or is nothing other than a “home” on a lavish and ludicrous scale.

     

    The pool sits alongside a 6-bedroomed guest house

    Chateau d’Or also has it’s own championship tennis court

    One of numerous terraces

    In addition to a swimming pool, spa and gym, Chateau d’Or also has a championship tennis court, guest accommodation and 1.7 acres of grounds. Accessed by a 600ft driveway and surrounded by privacy walls plainly designed to keep prying eyes out, the house featured in Lady Gaga’s 2009 video for her song Paparazzi. Mr Tar plainly isn’t that private at all.

     

    Lady Gaga filmed the video for her 2009 song “Paparazzi” at Chateau d’Or

    Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (AKA Lady Gaga) in one of the “cheap looking” chairs at Chateau d’Or

    Not shy of renting the house out for other purposes, it has also been used for a photoshoot for Versace, a television advert for Foot Locker and Addidas starring Ken Jeong and as a venue for a Dubai themed party for Donald Trump where Christina Aguilera performed.

     

    Ken Jeong in a 2010 advert for Foot Locker and Addidas at Chateau d’Or

    Donald Trump, Sr. with his daughter Ivanka Trump and son Donald Trump, Jr. at a party at Chateau d’Or

    Yousuf Tar put Chateau d’Or on the market in 2009 for just shy of $40,000,000 and though Michael Jackson supposedly wanted to buy it to create a “new Neverland,” his sad demise meant that this fell through. Relisted repeatedly since and despite the best efforts of Sally Forster Jones, Chateau d’Or’s gaudiness plainly hasn’t appealed to the market.

     

    You’d had to have been gaga to have paid $40,000,000 for Chateau d’Or

    Reduced by nearly $15,000,000 to $25,000,000 this month, Chateau d’Or still doesn’t look like much of a bargain. Somehow, we suspect, it’ll have to be marked down a fair bit more before anyone’s even vaguely tempted.

     

    For more information Chateau d’Or, 10425 West Sunset Boulevard, Bel Air, Los Angeles, California, CA 90077, USA contact Sally Forster Jones of the SFJ Group at +1 (310) 281 3999 or email her at: [email protected]

     

    Visit the official website for the house at: http://www.lechateaudor.com

     

    Watch a tour of Chateau d’Or by Sally Forster Jones at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjOAf_cfm0Q

     

    Watch Lady Gaga’s Paparazzi video at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2smz_1L2_0

     

    For more information about William R. Wilkerson, go to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Wilkerson

     

    Read The Hollywood Reporter at: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com

     

    For more details about Bernini, go to: http://www.bernini.com

  • Goodness, gracious, gaol

    Goodness, gracious, gaol

    Matthew Steeples updates readers on John Goodman’s return to jail

     

    The conviction of John Goodman in West Palm Beach earlier this year was a tragedy for all concerned but the twists and turns that have followed have been quite something else.

     

    John Goodman in court prior to returning to jail on Friday 12th October 2012

    Goodman, who sold his family business, Goodman Manufacturing, for $1.43 billion in 2004 and who also founded the International Polo Club Palm Beach, was found guilty of the offences of DUI Manslaughter and vehicular homicide on 23rd March.

     

    In February 2010, Goodman had crashed his Bentley Continental GTC at speed into a Hyundai Sonata and in the process catapulted it into a canal. Whilst the driver, Scott Wilson, was left to drown, Goodman fled the scene of the accident and later claimed he did not know he’d hit another driver. On the night in question, Goodman had settled a $272 bar bill for himself and friends at The Players Club in Wellington, Florida at 12:52am and had later drunk more alcohol after the accident in a “man cave” to “alleviate [his] pain.”

     

    Scott Wilson’s Hyundai after it was retrieved from the canal into which John Goodman’s Bentley catapulted it

    In May 2012, Goodman was sentenced to 16 years in jail but shortly afterwards was released on a $7 million bond pending appeal. At exactly the same time, a juror in the case, Dennis DeMartin, self-published a “tell-all” book, Believing in the Truth, in which he revealed that he conducted drinking experiments to see if he could get drunk after three vodka and tonics. After DeMartin was called in for questioning by Palm Beach County Circuit Judge Jeffrey Colbath, he stated:

     

    “I’m only human. I made a mistake, just like John Goodman made a mistake… What can I say? I’m getting senile.”

     

    John Goodman has spent most of the year under house arrest at his hacienda at 3665 120th Avenue, Wellington with his girlfriend, whom he also adopted as his daughter to protect his wealth, Heather Laurso Hutchins (also known as Heather Colby). In a further twist, Goodman was caught at the property by two of the $2,000 a day off-duty deputies employed to monitor him at 11pm on Wednesday in an upstairs bathroom with a small mirror. He was allegedly using it to pry open his ankle monitor and disable it with water.

     

    Though Goodman claimed he had hit the monitor on a shower door accidentally, Sheriff Ric Bradshaw of West Palm Beach County commented:

     

    “I think he thought, you know, in my estimation he thought that was going to disable it. [It] doesn’t work like that… He paid the price for it because he’s back in the ‘Gun Club Hotel’ [Palm Beach County Jail]. That’s where he’s going to stay.”

     

    “Think about what’s going on in America right now. You know you’ve got celebrities and people with a lot of money, they get arrested, they break the law. And, after a while they just think the rules don’t apply to them.”

     

    “Well, guess what? That don’t happen here. He gets treated just like every other person that’s in my custody. He violates the rules, he’s back in jail.”

     

    As a result, John Goodman will now temporarily remain in jail until the 26th November.

     

    We await the next twist in this case with anticipation.

     

    Read our original report on the case against John Goodman and his subsequent conviction at: http://thesteepletimes.com/the-fog/no-thank-goodnesses-for-goodman/

  • The bogs of Bayswater

    The bogs of Bayswater

    Christian Huhnt recounts an evening at the launch of La Suite West

     

    I have a personal connection to Inverness Terrace as twice in my life I’ve had to crash at my friend’s place there. It’s less than a minute from the new Anouska Hempel-designed hotel, La Suite West, and runs parallel to Queensway.

     

    Bursting with cheap Chinese, Arabic and Mediterranean restaurants, this is an area that has great transport links to Oxford Street and the city centre that is also a very short walk from Hyde Park. As a result it’s full of tourists. Here, they arrive and depart every day, wandering around with heavy luggage trying to find their way. Most of them look like they’re hopelessly lost and in need of a good scrub. The tourist density here is almost equal to that of Victoria Station’s Gatwick Express exit or the Piazza San Marco in Venice.

     

    The lobby of La Suite West, 41 – 51 Inverness Terrace, London, W2 3JN

    Party guests at the launch of La Suite West

    Please don’t get me wrong though. I have always felt that this place, the heart of Bayswater, has been totally underestimated. It is charming with lots of London Plane trees and a very cosmopolitan feel. Lady Weinberg, better known as the visionary designer and sometime actress Anouska Hempel, plainly agreed as she integrated all that was good about this atmosphere into the hotel that she has cleverly designed.

     

    “Let’s celebrate with a little champagne”

    Guests at the party included the British supermodel and VogueTV presenter Jade Parfitt and Duncan McDonald of Propeller Communications

    Our party correspondent Christian Huhnt and Inga Buschke enjoying the launch of La Suite West

    Angelo Valentino also represented “The Steeple Times” with his daughter

    Guests at the launch of La Suite West

    Susan Ansary, a regular on the party circuit, even put in an appearance

    Arriving at the hotel entrance, you get a feel of how important it was for Hempel to grasp this outside space and use it as a communal environment for the guests. I was invited to visit on the evening of the hotel’s launch and this was the area where guests congregated. Here, along with the champagne, they served molecular bites including Nutella ice cream that had been shock frozen using liquid nitrogen. This, they told me, had been done to avoid ice crystals appearing and the result was a very smooth and creamy texture. I’d put money on this having left the menu now though as just days later I read news reports of a girl in Lancaster losing her stomach after drinking a cocktail made in a similar manner. With hindsight, I must say that my stomach is very glad that they got the measure just right.

     

    When you enter the hotel, which first opened to guests three months ago, you feel as if you are visiting a Scientology church or traversing the ramp of a Star Wars space shuttle. Coming “onboard,” you enter a reception hall, in which a friendly concierge welcomes you. The whole interior is very minimalistic and has been reduced to hues of only black and white. A long fireplace leads you deeper into this shuttle, onto a main corridor, past the dining rooms and connects into to labyrinthian walkways that transport guests to their appointed suites.

     

    I was told that the hotel rooms are all decorated in the same style and have similar layouts. They differ only slightly in size. On the evening of the launch, the largest could be admired and all of them had a very independent feel as they benefited from their own access to the street. Essentially, the rooms are quite small but all offer the contemporary luxury that any jetsetter would expect. The bathrooms have a particularly sophisticated feel and are clad in marble throughout. The extendable televisions hidden in the bed frames perfectly fitted with the minimalist design, but where this became bizarrely rigorous was the flexible water hose in the bathrooms that dispensed with the need for good old European toilet paper.

     

    One of the hotel’s bedrooms

    A toilet at La Suite West – complete with hose attachment but minus loo roll

    La Suite West is a great step forward. In fact, it is a very audacious move towards upgrading a whole area that clearly has potential for more and which, at the time of writing, does not offer anything better than shabby hostels and seedy bed and breakfasts. The hotel is a well-arranged concept and evidently Hempel put a lot of thought into the execution of it. The design is well composed, but being German I did notice some of the carpets and minor details could have been a little better.

     

    One last piece of advice: the management might want to ship in some bog roll. Some ageing Brit might decide to show up and I’m sure nobody would want a scene from Fawlty Towers to be played out in that rather smart lobby.

     

    La Suite West, 41 – 51 Inverness Terrace, London, W2 3JN. Telephone: +44 (0) 20 3642 3928. Website: http://lasuitewest-px.rtrk.co.uk
     
    Images by Andreas Kirchberger and Christian Huhnt.

  • Sophie Michell: “What’s on your mantelpiece?”

    Sophie Michell: “What’s on your mantelpiece?”

    The Steeple Times asks the chef, author and television personality Sophie Michell: “What’s on your mantelpiece?”

     

    The Steeple Times shares “wit and wisdom.” What’s your guiding force? 

    “Independence and the life choices that come with it.”

     

     “Never regret, never explain, never apologise” is, in our humble opinion, a great motto. What’s yours?

    As Virginia Woolf once said: “One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.”

     

    Kerry Katona was unacceptable in 2007. Who is unacceptable in 2012?

    Samantha Brick: She gave women a bad name by writing so many self-serving articles implying that all women are as shallow and as vacuous as she, and that we as a gender make judgements solely on looks.

     

    Tony Blair misses being Prime Minister. What do you miss most in your life?

    Friends and family who I have loved and lost.

     

    What might you swap all your wealth for?

    A simple life living by the sea and working in a job that involved the ocean and it’s stunning environment and creatures.

     

    What phrase or word do you most loathe?

    I hate the abbreviated text language that people use,  it makes people sound very moronic

     

    In the UK, some people consider charity to “begin at home.” What’s your view and what causes do you personally support?

    I try and support charities as much as possible within my means and I think we should all do the same. Time is also as worth as much as money in many cases. I generally support Breakthrough Breast Cancer, but I am very keen to get involved in a charity that works for abused women and children. It’s a bigger issue than people think, routinely ignored and sadly it’s on our doorstep.

     

    Have you ever been arrested and if so, for what?

    Hahaha, nope! But that could just mean that I’ve never been caught… Only joking.

     

    If you could fill a carriage on The Orient Express, who would be your fellow passengers?

    Definitely Marie Antoinette as she knew how to party and I love the clothes of that era. Cleopatra was a glamorous and formidable woman so she must come too. I’d also like Gregory Peck as he seemed like a real gentleman and my great grandfather Admiral Godfrey, who was head of Naval Intelligence in World War II. Ian Fleming was his PA and apparently the James Bond books were based on Ian Fleming’s time working with him. In fact, the character ‘M’ was based on my great grandfather and I would just love to hear the stories in person. There are many more people too, but those four would make an interesting start.

     

    Sophie Michell

    If you were unfortunate enough to end up on death row, what would be your last meal and where would you eat it?

    It would be a classic seafood platter by the sea somewhere possibly on the French Riviera. I suggest this mainly because with all the shells you have to crack open to extract the tasty morsels taking such a long time to get through, it would give me time to plan my escape.

     

    What time is it acceptable to consume the first drink of the day?

    Any time after noon if on holiday. Any time after 6pm if at home. Failing those terms, you can always bend the rules by proclaiming loudly that it is always cocktail hour somewhere in the world at any given time. This works for me.

     

    A Negroni, a martini or a cup of tea?

    A dirty martini every time.

     

    Whose parties do you enjoy the most and why?

    I love private house parties as they are personal and always great fun. I entertain a lot when I can for both work and pleasure. I think it enables one to be quite creative and I love seeing an event come off well. I also love really chilled out beach parties, when everyone is glowing from a day in the sunshine and you can hear the sea.

     

    Who is the most positive person you know?

    My darling friend Miss Emma Nettleton. Nothing seems so serious after some dancing and giggles with her.

     

    What’s your most guilty pleasure?

    Ha ha ha: Guilt is a pointless emotion, so a pleasure should be left at that and basically if you feel guilt creeping in, then just don’t do it.

     

    What was the first bone that you broke?

    An ankle bone due to my first foray into ridiculously large platform shoes, aged 14. I haven’t stopped wearing large heels, but I have since mastered the art.

     

    If a tattoo were to sum you up, what would it be of?

    Probably a dolphin. I am happier in the sea than anywhere else. Although for the record I think tattoos are vile.

     

    If you were a car, what marque would you be?

    God knows. I don’t drive and have never tried. I am not adverse to beautiful cars, but also not attached to them either.

     

    Cilla Black presented “Surprise, Surprise.” Tell us the most surprising thing about you.

    I am actually quite shy and have faint OCD according to my friends. I think it’s otherwise known as being tidy.

     

    What’s currently sitting on your mantelpiece?

    A French antique mirror, a beautiful fluorite crystal, a Dyptique blackberry leaf candle and a couple of out of date invites that will soon be removed.

     

    Sophie Michell is a chef with a true passion for nutrition and healthy eating. She was the private chef for Claudia Schiffer for two years and has cooked for various other famous names including Leonardo DiCaprio and David Cameron. She has presented and appeared on a number of television shows including Cook Yourself Thin, Market Kitchen and Ready Steady Cook.

     

    Sophie Michell’s official website can be viewed at: http://www.sophiemichell.com and information about her latest show, BBC America’s Chef Race: U.K. vs. U.S., can be seen at: http://www.bbcamerica.com/chef-race

     

    Purchase Sophie Michell’s latest book, Love Good Food, at: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Love-Good-Food-Sophie-Michell/dp/1848990103/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_3

  • The Compliment

    The Compliment

    Kerri Moss Beaumont tells of the joys of being a mother of four who also manages to enjoy life to the max

     

    A few weeks ago, my husband and I were at an end of summer barbeque. We got chatting to a glamorous couple in their early 30s and we were asked: “So when do you guys plan on cracking on and having kids?’’ When we replied that we had four children, under the age of seven, we were looked at with utter disbelief.

     

    Ian and Kerri Beaumont

    In fact, I personally was challenged by the dashing young chap, as he really couldn’t wrap his head around the fact that I had physically carried and given birth to four children. So there you have it folks, one of the best compliments around – to be told you look like you don’t have children. After all, who wants to look tired, worn out, frazzled and caked with mango puree? Um, not me.

     

    So the inevitable question of: ‘How do you do it?’ came out and we managed to boil it down to two things.  First off, we have fun. In fact we have fun whenever possible. Whether that means going out and dancing a few times a month in nightclubs that cater for 20-something hipsters or having dinner parties and turning the kitchen into a disco, or going to a silly West End musical, we put fun at the top of our relationship agenda. Life can be serious enough with bills to pay and school fees to lose sleep over. Put date night in your diaries at least twice per month. Mandatory stuff.

     

    Secondly, I put myself first. As a woman, this is paramount. Because, in case you haven’t worked it out yet my dear, you are the heart and soul of the family. You hold it all together. It’s like you are the “Mama glue.” Now, I’m not dissing the boys here, but let’s face facts – the Wife, the Mother …  well, she really is the Boss. And too often, once women have children, we get overwhelmed by this new ‘Boss’ position and respond by putting everyone else first.

     

    But I think this is the wrong way of going about things. By putting yourself and your inner-diva first, you have the best chance for tackling day-to-day life. Consider it like your armour. You wouldn’t go out to battle without your gear on, so don’t even think about hitting the school run unless you are feeling at the top of your game.  If you aren’t at the top of your game, you become a drain. It happens quickly and sometimes without you even having any idea. All of a sudden, you are two sizes bigger, wearing tracksuit bottoms and drinking too much white wine to console yourself.

     

    So ladies, to make sure you’ve got your armour on – go to the gym, keep yourself in the best shape possible. Eat right. Treat yourself. Dress with flair. And don’t forget the reason why you fell in love with your husband. This will keep you feeling the love and feeling sexy. Keep a little note in your underwear drawer along these lines, and make sure that you don’t lose sight of who you are. Be yourself first, wife and mother second.

     

    It’s a circus out there, so do yourself a favour. Take the challenge, and walk the tightrope. Sure it’s a little dangerous. But by looking at things from a different perspective, it’s easier to look down at the three rings of chaos and laugh. Oh, and then and go and have some fun. Your children will thank you for it.